A Crazy-Much Love by Joy Jordan-Lake, illustrated by Sonia Sanchez

This is an ode to familial love, set in the context of an interracial adoption. The father is white, with red hair, the mother has light skin and black hair. Some reviews say she has olive skin, but I don't see it - the colors are very splashy and fluctuating though. As the parents prepare for their much-loved and expected child, adopted from an unnamed Asian country.

Their experiences parallel the expectation and birth of a child - preparing a nursery, the excitement of the big moment and the hurried rush, but they race off in a plane, not to the hospital, and collect their beloved child to return to a diverse, excited group of family and neighbors. They fall in love with their daughter from her first laugh to her first bath, and just like the bubbles spill across the room their love spills out of the house and follows her wherever she goes, learning to ride a tricycle, off to school, and cuddling together in an explosion of love and happiness.

Sanchez' illustrations are wild and colorful; lots of splashy reds and oranges, bubbling fountains of colored bubbles representing emotions, wide mouths laughing, and families jumping in joy and excitement. Children totter on plump legs and tiny feet, the little girl rides her bike through a forest of glowing leaves, and a friendly brown dog pops up on various pages.

The text is poetic, rather than following a plot-line. It reiterates the refrain of "crazy-much love" and includes lots of hyperbole, "forever and ever and far beyond that" and more.

Verdict: A beautiful book, full of the warmth of family and love. It's not something I'd pick for storytime; it's more of a parent-child book to read together, or a book to give as a gift. It's not unique - I have several books about adopting an Asian child - so if I was looking to fill a gap I'd be looking for books featuring foster kids, children with disabilities, or older children being adopted - but it is a very attractive story and parents wanting to reassure their children of how much they are loved and wanted will find this a charming read.

ISBN: 9781542043267; Published September 2019 by Two Lions; Review copy provided by publicist; Donated to the library